A guest is coming to your workplace in Japan, but the building has a reception desk and an entry procedure you do not know. Ask your office which entrance and registration method visitors use, then send the guest clear arrival instructions. When the guest arrives, confirm their name and appointment, contact the host, and follow the building’s escort and visitor pass rules. Do not assume your own employee card can admit a guest.
Japanese words on a visitor notice or reception screen
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 来客／訪問者 | raikyaku / hōmonsha | Guest / visitor |
| 受付 | uketsuke | Reception or check-in |
| 訪問先／担当者 | hōmonsaki / tantōsha | Office or person being visited |
| 訪問目的 | hōmon mokuteki | Purpose of the visit |
| 事前登録／入館申請 | jizen tōroku / nyūkan shinsei | Advance registration / entry request |
| 入館証／来客用パス | nyūkanshō / raikyaku-yō pasu | Visitor entry badge or pass |
| 本人確認 | honnin kakunin | Identity check |
| 呼び出し／お迎え | yobidashi / omukae | Call the host / meet the guest |
| 同伴／案内 | dōhan / annai | Escort / guide |
| 退館／返却 | taikan / henkyaku | Leave the building / return the pass |
Not every building uses all these steps. A small office may have a doorbell, while a larger building may require advance registration, an identity check and a temporary badge. Follow your own building’s instructions for the exact documents, hours and entrance.
Before the guest arrives
- Confirm the appointment. Check the visitor’s name, organization, number of people, date and time, host, and meeting place. If an outside contractor is visiting for a delivery or repair, ask whether the route differs from ordinary meeting guests.
- Check the entry process. Ask reception or your office manager whether 事前登録 is needed and who submits it. Do not collect or email identity documents unless the established process requires them through an approved channel.
- Send usable directions. Include the building name, entrance, floor, reception point, host name, and a contact method if the guest cannot find it. If the building has multiple entrances, specify which one visitors should use.
- Be ready at arrival time. Watch for a reception notification, then meet or contact the guest as your workplace requires. A visitor should not have to find a restricted work area alone.
- Close the visit. Explain the exit route, and check whether the guest must sign out or return an 入館証 at reception. Keep their personal details within the workplace’s visitor process.
Short Japanese you can use
| Japanese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| 本日14時にABC社の佐藤様が来社予定です。事前登録は必要でしょうか。 | Mr./Ms. Sato from ABC is due at 2 p.m. today. Is advance registration required? |
| 正面入口から入り、1階の受付で私の名前をお伝えください。 | Please use the main entrance and give my name at the first-floor reception. |
| お客様がお見えです。受付にお迎えをお願いします。 | The guest has arrived. Please meet them at reception. |
| 恐れ入りますが、お名前と訪問先を確認させてください。 | May I confirm your name and whom you are visiting? |
| 入館証はお帰りの際に受付へご返却ください。 | Please return the visitor pass to reception when leaving. |
If you are the visitor, “〇時に〇〇さんとお約束しています” means “I have an appointment with [name] at [time].” If reception cannot find the appointment, contact your host rather than trying another entrance. A visitor badge may have different access from an employee ID. Our employee ID and entry card guide covers staff passes and lost cards. For agreeing on the appointment time and format first, see the meeting invitation guide.
